When a fire starts, being able to quickly put it out will be vital to limiting the damage that it can cause. To this end, placing fire extinguishers throughout the home can be a necessary step for homeowners to take.

Choose Fire Extinguishers That Are Suitable For The Area

Individuals will often fail to appreciate that not all fires are the same. For example, a grease fire will be very different to put out than a paper or electrical fire. When you are buying fire extinguishers for the home, it is important to consider the most likely sources of fire for that particular area of the home. For example, you may want a fire extinguisher that is effective against grease fires in the kitchen, but you may want to keep one that is rated for electrical fires near the breakers, primary power connection, or other major components.  

Consider Completing Fire Extinguisher Training

Using a fire extinguisher can be surprisingly more challenging than a person may assume at first. For example, if the fire extinguisher is not aimed at the base of the fire, it may not effectively put it out. In fact, it may even spread the fire by causing burning embers to be scattered. In addition to the need to use the proper technique to extinguish the fire, individuals will often be surprised by the amount of force that a fire extinguisher will have. To help you better anticipate what it will be like to use these devices, you might want to complete a fire extinguisher safety training course. These courses will often allow you to practice putting out a fire with an extinguisher in a controlled setting. Completing one of these courses will be relatively short as most will only require an afternoon to complete.

Understand That Fire Extinguishers Require Some Maintenance

Unfortunately, many homeowners may fail to realize that their fire extinguishers will need to be repressurized periodically. Otherwise, they will not have enough force to be effective when you are faced with a rapidly growing fire. Luckily, there are services that can come to your home to test the fire extinguishers so that you can be sure that they will be ready for use when you need them. In most cases, this should be done yearly, and you will want to record the date that you had the testing done so that you will always be able to tell when it will be due for this type of maintenance again.

For more information on fire extinguishers, talk to a company like Amerisafe.